Faye Sizemore

THE END OF AN ERA

It feels like it is the end of an era… My humming birds are gone. I have not seen one in over a week… I will take down their feeders and wash and store them in hopes of the little birds return next spring. I guess the cool nights that have come early this year have caused them to leave early too.

A storm ruined the buddleia bush and it had to be cut down… There are limber green sprouts growing from its stump. The bush… like the humming birds… will come back.

The squirrels are out in full force gathering up the acorns from the water oak trees. Impish little hoarders! There are no pecans to argue with them over this year. The many heavy storms blew the nuts down before they were ready so the squirrels are welcome here this fall.

The concrete bird bath must be dumped soon so as not to freeze in the cold but for now it is still the public meeting places of various birds… chipmunks and some times a curious or… heaven forbid… hungry cat.

We… and this old place… have fared well through the storms… what are a few tree limbs… more or less?

It is a gray overcast day here and the fog comes and goes between the gold and bronze of the autumn leaves… It’s quiet beautiful and the absence of red in the leaves almost makes one hope for frost… almost… for there are some cardinals that lend themselves to the fall foliage… providing a splash of red here and there. I will settle for that for now because I realize the cold will come in its own good time… and winter… and then spring… and… oh yes… humming birds again!